First post to the forum but I've been reading everyone's posts intently over the past few weeks. We're about to embark on our first ever trip in a rented motorhome, driving from SE of Chicago to Denver (planning to visit Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls and Black Hills on the way).

I think we've got our route planned out now but the Black Hills area is concerning us a little - I can't seem to find a definitive guide of what roads are/are not suitable for RVs. We've got a 22' motorhome.

Any other recommendations for routings/good place to see/scenery would be fantastic too from the experts around here!

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RE: routing and roads - Interstates, U.S. highways, and State highways are most always good, check on County roads before you try them; some are okay, some not.

Spend time in and around the Black Hills. Beautiful scenery and a lot of history there. A good route south from the Black Hills is U.S. 385 through Chadron, NE. Chadron is a good stop with the Museum Of The Fur Trade and Chadron State Park. If you are interested in seeing the "outdoor store that started tham all", stop in at Cabella's in Sidney, NE.

RE: routing and roads - Interstates, U.S. highways, and State highways are most always good, check on County roads before you try them; some are okay, some not.

Spend time in and around the Black Hills. Beautiful scenery and a lot of history there. A good route south from the Black Hills is U.S. 385 through Chadron, NE. Chadron is a good stop with the Museum Of The Fur Trade and Chadron State Park. If you are interested in seeing the "outdoor store that started tham all", stop in at Cabella's in Sidney, NE.

I probably should have said we're also heading to Minneapolis and the surrounding area at the start of our trip so short of going all the way back south to Iowa/Des Moines and the I80 (we didn't really want to go there), the I90 was the best way west for us.

Although it's a detour I think we were planning on going over to Gilette and south to Cheyenne.

It is just east of town and is in a structure that spans the whole right-of-way of I-80. Inside is a two-level interpretive center about westward travelers along the Plate River covering the time of prairie schooners, railroads and highways.

It is a true learning experience. In their large parking lot RVers are welcome to dry-camp overnight.

Custer is great. But I wouldn't even take a class C on the Needles Highway or the Iron Mountain Road. The tunnels aren't very high on the Iron Mountain Road so don't take that from Mt Rushmore to Custer with the RV.

There are tunnels on the Needles but the last one is super narrow. Keep the RV at the RV park and take the toad on those roads.